Betrayed
by Cheeya
Summary: An undercover FBI Agent, whose cover has now been blown, has to face her past... and the woman from it... Uber Xena fanfiction. Alt.


Betrayed  
  
By Cheeya  
  
Disclaimer: the characters in this story belong to me and are not intended to infringe on anyone's rights to anything else. Sex/Love: this story is based on two women who love each other, however, there's nothing graphic in it. Language: Just a little. Comments/constructive criticism to Cheeya@xenafan.com Bard's note: This is quite short for me. I just felt like a wee spy story.  
The woman sprinted full out toward the road, a gun clasped tightly in her hand as her legs and arms pumped hard. She gritted her teeth against the pain of her injured shoulder and pushed even harder, her feet a blur of speed even as she raised the gun and fired off a whole clip into a speeding pickup truck. But it didn't stop and, moments later, was out of range. The woman slowed to a stop and bent at the waist, trying to pull air into her lungs with heaving breaths. "FUCK!" she bellowed, spinning and kicking a tree with enough force to make several apples fall off it.  
  
"Sharpe!"  
  
The woman turned and walked toward her backup, who had tried to keep up but had been left way behind. "Forget it, John," she stated. "They got away."  
  
"Wasn't your fault, Chris," Davis replied, running his hand through his blonde hair.  
  
"Yes, it was," the woman replied, wincing as she tentatively probed her shoulder.  
  
"Shit," Davis exclaimed moving closer and peering at her. "You're shot."  
  
"Just a graze." Chris Sharpe wandered to the edge of the sidewalk and sat down, crossing her legs under her and rolling her neck. "What now?" she asked. "My cover's blown and they're gonna come looking for me."  
  
"You reckon?" The older man sat next to her and helped her slip out of her leather jacket.  
  
"Yeah," Chris replied. "It'll probably be someone I know too."  
  
The FBI agent thought about the people she'd dealt with and wondered who it'd be. Finally, she decided not to dwell on it and just come in for debriefing. In truth, after four years of undercover work, Chris was ready for a vacation.  
  
"C'mon," Davis prodded gently. "Let's get you to the hospital."  
  
With a resigned sigh, Chris nodded, pushed her sweat-soaked, blonde hair back from her forehead and got up to begin the walk back to her car.  
  
**  
  
Sitting quietly in the departure lounge, Victoria Aranza Garcia turned another page in her magazine and shifted a little in her chair. Dressed in blue jeans and a white tank top, she looked comfortable and casually elegant. Beside her, on another chair, were her carry-on bag and leather jacket and, when the boarding announcement was made, she stood and ran a hand through her dark bangs before picking them up. Tori moved to get in line for boarding, her exceptional height allowing her a clear line of sight and her pale, blue eyes moving constantly, keeping an eye on what was going on around her.  
  
"Excuse me, Ma'am?"  
  
Tori turned and found a young man holding out a piece of paper. "Yes?"  
  
"You dropped this out of your book. I think it's your page marker."  
  
"Yes, it is. Thank you for returning it." The dark woman's voice was low, silky and only slightly accented, despite her Cuban parentage and she offered him a cool smile as she took the proffered item.  
  
"You're welcome, Ma'am," he replied, blushing slightly and wishing he was taller. At what must have been six foot two, the woman was towering over him. Then he turned and wandered away, leaving Tori to her thoughts again.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, she was on a plane bound for Chicago.  
  
**  
  
Chris was barely restraining herself. She gripped the arms of her chair and took deep breaths as her boss stood with his back to her. "It's a fucking mess, Chris! What the hell happened?"  
  
The agent stood and paced behind the chair, waving her hands in exasperation. "I have no goddamned idea! One moment, I'm Garcia's best friend and the next thing I know, he's shooting at me."  
  
"What about his daughter?"  
  
The question stopped Chris in her tracks and she slowly sat back down. "What about her?" she asked warily. "We know she doesn't have anything to do with her father. She's a doctor in Chicago and she has an excellent reputation. I don't think we should drag her into this."  
  
"I think we should bring her in for questioning." Assistant Director Melvin sat down and leaned his forearms on his desk. "She wasn't in Cuba at all while you were there?"  
  
Chris had to make a decision and make it fast. "Once," she replied softly. "She was there for her mother's funeral. We... um... had a falling out before she left. I haven't seen her since."  
  
Melvin tilted his head. "A falling out over what?"  
  
The agent wasn't willing to tell her boss the full story so she shrugged lightly. "Tori didn't trust me. She told her father as much but he ignored her so she left the day after the funeral and didn't come back."  
  
"Alright," the man replied. "I still want you to talk to her. It doesn't matter whether she trusts you or not now that you're cover's blown. Go to Chicago and track her down. Bring her back to Washington if you need to."  
  
"Yes, Sir," Chris replied. "I'll go straight away."  
  
Melvin nodded. "Get going."  
  
The blonde agent left her boss's office and walked slowly along the hallway to the office she shared with two other agents. She grabbed her bag and headed for the gym, intent on beating up a practice dummy while she worked things out in her head. She hadn't told her boss that she and Victoria Aranza Garcia had been lovers for a brief time but that didn't mean that she didn't remember every moment of their time together.  
  
After a long workout, Chris left the J. Edgar Hoover building and headed back to her apartment for some dinner. The FBI had paid the rent on her apartment while she was undercover and it was just as she'd left it. It felt strange to Chris, being back in her old place, and she found she was missing Cuba in a way she'd never expected. It was beautiful but she knew she could never go back there.  
  
After making herself a sandwich, she sat in her home office and went online to book a one-way ticket to Chicago. She also booked a rental car and a hotel near the hospital where she knew Tori worked. Chris had left Cuba with literally the clothes on her back so she decided to go and pick up some new stuff. The mall was crowded and noisy, two things that Chris couldn't stand so she moved quickly from store to store until she'd purchased several new outfits. Then she went home to pack for her trip.  
  
**  
  
Tori straightened, stretching a kink out of her back as she did so. "There," she smiled as the little boy looked up at her with awe. "All done." She ruffled his dark hair and then stripped off her surgical gloves. "Make sure you keep the stitches dry," she explained to the boy's mother who nodded her understanding.  
  
"Yes, Doctor. When should we come back?"  
  
"A week should be soon enough," Tori replied. "Those stitches are self dissolving so don't worry about them overgrowing."  
  
"Thank you, Doctor," the woman murmured gratefully. "I was so worried."  
  
"Nah, that's one tough kid you got there," Tori grinned, her blue eyes twinkling. She turned to the little boy. "Seeya in a week, Champ."  
  
Victoria left the room and wandered out into the waiting area to find out whom her next patient was but she suddenly froze as she met the green eyes she thought she'd never see again.  
  
**  
  
Chris had arrived in Chicago in the early afternoon and, after checking into her hotel, she went straight to the hospital. Chicago County General was busy and she queued to speak to the receptionist. Chris pulled out her badge and showed it to the bespectacled, older woman. "Hello, Ma'am," she smiled. "I'm Special Agent Chris Sharpe. I'd like to see Doctor Garcia, if she's here."  
  
The receptionist looked toward the door of a small room and nodded as she saw someone exit. "There's Doctor Garcia," she pointed. Chris turned and suddenly locked eyes with the woman she hadn't seen in over three years. Tori's eyes lowered and then met the agent's again. She visibly squared her shoulders and walked toward Chris.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here?" the doctor asked, lifting up a clipboard and examining what was written on it. "No, actually let me guess. You're here to tell me that you've finally arrested my father... Not that I give a goddamn."  
  
"You father is on the run," Chris replied softly, looking up at the tall doctor. Even at five foot seven, she felt small next to her. "And I've been sent here to question you about it."  
  
Tori looked up, her eyes full of surprise. "I haven't seen my father since..." She shook her head. "My mother's funeral."  
  
"I never got the chance to tell you how sorry I am about your mother, Tori," the agent said. "She was a wonderful woman."  
  
"Yes," Tori replied forcefully. "She was and she could have helped my father become a better man if you hadn't..." The doctor sucked in a breath and stopped talking as she felt tears welling in her eyes.  
  
"You left before I could explain." The blonde ran a hand through her hair and looked away. "I didn't tell the FBI what happened that day. They didn't kill your mother. It was one of your father's enemy's men."  
  
Tori shook her head. "Don't lie to me, Chris."  
  
The agent reached out a hand. "Please... Tori, I'm not lying to you. I found out that your father had a deal going with Mendoza but he double- crossed him. It was Mendoza who ordered your mother's death to get revenge." Chris closed her eyes briefly. "Tori, I loved your mother. I would never have let anything happen to her if I could have prevented it."  
  
The doctor studied her ex-lover's face for a long moment and found that she couldn't do anything but believe her. "What do you need to know?" she finally asked.  
  
"Has your father been in contact with you?"  
  
Tori nodded. "He left me a message on my machine but I just deleted it. I don't want to have anything to do with him."  
  
"Right, we need to check your phone records." Chris made a note in her notebook. She looked up then. "Why did you not blow my cover to your father?"  
  
Tori's eyes widened. The question took her totally by surprise and she looked away as she found herself unable to meet the green eyes she'd once loved. "I don't know."  
  
"Tori..."  
  
"I hated you, you know. I still do."  
  
"Tori..."  
  
"No!" The tall doctor lifted a hand, stopping Chris' words. "The only reason I'm speaking to you is because I want my father put in prison. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm still on duty. Leave your number with the receptionist and I'll contact you."  
  
And with that, Victoria Aranza Garcia strode away. Chris sighed, tucked her notebook into the back pocket of her jeans and got back in line to speak to the receptionist again.  
  
**  
  
Tori leaned against the cubicle wall, shaking like a leaf and feeling sick to her stomach. Why did Chris have to turn up like that after three years? The doctor had thought that she'd finally managed to get over the blonde agent but now, all the old feelings were resurfacing... along with the happiest and most painful memories of her life.  
  
Sitting by the pool, Victoria turned another page of her novel and absently picked up her drink to take a sip. She was wearing a black bikini that left little to the imagination but wasn't expecting anyone to find her like that so, when a soft clearing of a throat sounded out, she almost jumped with fright. Looking up over the top of her book, Tori watched a blonde woman walk toward her and hold out her hand. "You must be Signor Garcia's daughter, Victoria."  
  
"I am," Tori replied, shaking the proffered hand. "And you are?"  
  
The blonde grinned. "Sydney Jones. I work for your father."  
  
"Ah. You must be new. I haven't seen you here before." Tori smiled as she let her eyes roam over the woman's muscular body. She found her very attractive.  
  
"I've been here a few months but you haven't been here for a long time."  
  
"I've been in Chicago, at medical school," the tall, dark beauty explained. "I'm taking a vacation and then I'm going back to do my internship at County General."  
  
"You're a doctor, huh?" Chris sat in the spare lounge chair and crossed her legs. Garcia's daughter was beautiful and she was very attracted to her but she pushed the feelings away. Getting involved with Garcia's daughter was a bad idea.  
  
"Almost," the dark woman chuckled. "What do you do, Ms Jones?"  
  
"I'm a... " Chris paused, not really sure if the woman was involved in her father's business. "A delivery person."  
  
"I see," Tori replied with a nod. "And what do you deliver? I know my father has quite a number of businesses here."  
  
"Maybe we could discuss them over dinner?" the agent heard herself saying.  
  
Victoria smiled and nodded. "I'd like that. How about tonight?"  
  
"Tonight is perfect," Chris replied.  
  
Their first date had been a wonderful success. Only two short days later, they'd become lovers and Tori had lost her heart to her father's bodyguard. Weeks later, she'd found out that Sydney Jones was actually Special Agent Chris Sharpe, then her mother had been murdered and her life had fallen apart. Since the day she'd walked out on her father, she'd hated the agent for causing her mother's death but now Chris was telling her that it had been one of her father's enemies who had ordered the hit on her mother.  
  
Despite her feelings toward Chris and the FBI, Tori had to find out for sure what had happened and, like it or not, she knew she'd have to talk to her ex-lover to do it.  
  
**  
  
Throwing herself onto the bed on her back, Chris sighed and stared at the ceiling of her hotel room. She was emotionally exhausted from the encounter with Victoria and felt like just falling asleep and never waking up. Her heart had almost pounded out of her chest at the sight of her beautiful ex- lover and she had to admit that her feelings for Garcia's daughter were just as strong now as they'd been when they were lovers.  
  
This information gathering assignment was going to be difficult for Chris but she promised herself she'd get in and out as quickly as possible. Closing her eyes, the agent let herself drift off but the sudden ringing of the phone jerked her back to full wakefulness. She picked up the receiver and cleared her throat a little. "Hello?"  
  
"I'm almost not even sure what to call you," came a soft voice. "I keep having to stop myself from calling you Sydney, even though I know your name is Chris."  
  
"Victoria, I'm sorry," Chris whispered. She didn't know what else to say so she just waited.  
  
"Can we meet in a half hour?" Tori asked.  
  
"Sure, name the place," the agent replied.  
  
"I'll come to you. What's your room number?"  
  
"Three-two-two."  
  
"I'll be there soon."  
  
Victoria hung up then and Chris was left holding the buzzing phone to her ear. With a sigh, she hung up and went to shower and change.  
  
**  
  
Tori had been sitting in her car outside the hotel when she'd made the call to Chris and she was still there, twenty-five minutes later, trying to slide her emotionally detached persona into place but, when it came to the agent, she was completely in turmoil. She couldn't deny the fact that she was still totally in love with Chris and was almost afraid of going to meet her. She knew it would hurt.  
  
Finally, after another five minutes warring with herself, she got out of the car and entered the hotel. A short elevator ride later, she was in front of the Chris' room and she knocked gently on the door. A moment later, she was looking into those sea green eyes that had captured her heart.  
  
"Hi. Come in," Chris said softly and stepped back to let Tori pass her.  
  
"Hi." The doctor couldn't manage a hostile tone so she just entered the room and took a seat in a comfortable armchair.  
  
"I'm having coffee. Would you like some?" the agent asked as she picked up the phone.  
  
"Please. Black..."  
  
"With two sugars," Chris murmured, letting her eyes meet cool blue.  
  
"You remember," Tori said softly, her hands trembling.  
  
"I remember everything," Chris replied, her eyes far away. "Every moment."  
  
The doctor got up and walked to the window, needing a moment to compose herself again. She heard Chris ordering the coffee in the background and took a deep breath before going back to her chair and settling into it.  
  
"What I said earlier about hating you..." she began.  
  
"I understand," Chris replied.  
  
"No." Tori sighed. "You don't understand. Hating you has kept me going for the past few years... but now I find I was wrong."  
  
"You believe me?" Chris asked very softly.  
  
Victoria nodded. "Yes, I do believe you, Chris." She laced her fingers together in her lap and studied them intently. "But it doesn't change anything. I can't... look at you without feeling... hurt."  
  
"What do you want me to do?" the agent asked. "What can I do to make up for what happened back then?"  
  
"Nothing," Tori answered quickly. "I don't plan on being around you enough for you to make it up to me."  
  
Ouch. Chris felt that deeply. The rejection was real all over again and it punched her hard enough in the gut to force the breath out of her body in a whoosh. But with the pain came anger. "Fine," she stated coldly. "Just answer my questions and I'll get out of your life."  
  
"Fine," echoed the doctor. "Ask your questions."  
  
"Why did you leave without listening to my side of the story?"  
  
Tori stood angrily. "I'm not talking about that."  
  
"Why did you just assume that I was guilty?" Chris moved closer to her tall ex-lover. "Alright, I admit I lied but I was just doing my job. I never lied to you about us. What I felt for you..." She stopped before she let her mouth get her into even deeper trouble but Tori's eyebrow arched.  
  
"What did you feel for me?" she asked.  
  
"I loved you," Chris replied, her voice husky with emotion. "I loved you so damned much that, when you left, I considered packing it all in."  
  
The doctor nodded and closed her eyes. A single tear trickled down her cheek and she wiped absently at it. "It doesn't change where we are now," she whispered. "I need to get going so ask me whatever it is you need to know."  
  
The blonde agent nodded. "Alright." Just then, the coffee arrived and she signed for it quickly before pouring two mugs. She stirred two spoons of sugar into one mug and handed it to Tori. "I need to know if you're familiar with your father's hideouts."  
  
"Not really," the doctor replied thoughtfully. "He has a house in Greece and one in Ireland but, apart from those, I don't know where else he might be."  
  
Chris nodded. "I had the phone company check out your incoming calls and they traced your father's call as being international from Ireland."  
  
"But..." Tori shook her head. "Surely he knows you're after him. Why would he call me from a place I'd know about? It's too easily traceable. He's hardly going to trust me, Chris."  
  
The agent nodded, also thinking it unlikely. "If it was routed through an Irish switchboard, it would show up with an Irish number. Does your father have business in Ireland?" The tall doctor got up and went to the window. The view over the city was impressive and she felt the knot in her guts unravel a bit as she gazed onto it. Chris moved a little closer. "Vicky?"  
  
"Don't call me that," whispered the tall doctor. Chris had been the only person in her life she'd let use that version of her name. Now it just hurt too much to hear it. "I'm not aware of any business venture he has in Ireland. However, I haven't spoken to my father in three years. He could have contacts there now."  
  
"What did his message say?" asked the agent. "Word for word if you can remember it please."  
  
Tori gazed out of the window for a long moment before turning to look at the blonde agent. "I loved you too," she said softly. "I was afraid of getting involved with you, only to lose you to a bullet from a rival family or..." My father. She cleared her throat again. "The message said... Victoria, it's Papa. I'm in trouble, Baby. It turns out that you were right about Sydney. I tried to dispose of her but she called the damned cavalry and now I'm on the run. I'll call you again if I possibly can."  
  
Chris' jaw worked but no words came out. She ran her hand through her short, blonde hair and sighed before flopping down on the bed on her back and throwing her arm across her face. "This is a fucking nightmare," she groaned. She felt the slight movement as Tori sat beside her on the bed.  
  
"Yes, it is." The doctor's voice was low and had a weary tone to it. "I'm tired of being afraid. I'm tired of worrying if my father is going to decide that he doesn't need me anymore."  
  
At that, Chris sat up, her face deadly serious. "I'll kill him before I let anything happen to you," she stated fiercely. "I promise you that." Once again, Tori walked to the window, needing emotional distance but, this time, Chris didn't let her go alone. She placed a gentle hand on the tall doctor's shoulder and turned her to look up into her blue eyes. "Hey," she murmured. "Please... You can trust me. Come to Washington with me until we catch your father. I can protect you there."  
  
Trust. It was that single word that hung between them for the longest moment until Tori shook her head. "I can't," she whispered. "I can't." She picked up her jacket and went to the door. "I'm sorry."  
  
The door closed and Chris stood staring at it, tears streaming down her cheeks. "So am I."  
  
**  
  
The hotel bar was quiet enough for Chris' taste. She sat on a stool and slapped a fifty-dollar bill down. "Whiskey."  
  
The barman eyed her warily for a moment as she pulled out her wallet and opened it. "Ok," he finally replied and placed a bottle and glass in front of her.  
  
The agent poured a healthy measure and sipped it as she gazed at the photograph she'd taken out of her wallet. Smiling a little, she remembered the day it was taken.  
  
"Vicky, c'mon, we're late!" Chris was sitting behind the wheel of her truck with the engine running.  
  
"Honey, have you seen my watch?" the dark woman called back.  
  
"It's on my bedside locker."  
  
"Oh, thanks!"  
  
Moments later, they were on their way into town to pick up a gift for Tori's mother's birthday. The shops were crowded enough and they held hands as they strolled until they spotted a jewellers and stopped to look at the window display.  
  
"That's gorgeous," Chris enthused, pointing at a bracelet of white gold and sapphires.  
  
"Mm. Yeah, it is," Tori replied with a grin. "Mother would love that."  
  
They went inside and bought the bracelet, making sure it was carefully gift- wrapped. Then, on their way out, they'd stopped at an automatic photo booth to have their photo taken together. Little had either of them known that only short weeks after giving her the gift, they'd be burying Tori's mother with it.  
  
Chris swallowed the rest of the glass of whiskey and pressed the photo against her forehead. "I'm so sorry, Vicky," she whispered. Then she tucked it back into her wallet and picked up the bottle of whiskey. Drinking alone in her room felt like a much better plan.  
  
**  
  
8AM. Chris jerked awake from a nightmare and sat forward, clutching at her chest and trying to catch her breath. "Unnggh," she moaned, as both her head and stomach protested the action. She grimaced as she spotted the empty whiskey bottle on the bedside table, along with a half-full glass. The last time she'd drunk herself into oblivion was the night she'd realised that Tori was gone for good. It hadn't helped then either.  
  
Chris rolled out of bed and padded, naked, into the bathroom to take a shower. She just stood there for a long time, letting the hot water ease muscles sore from tensing during her nightmares. Then she washed up and got out to towel off but, when she opened the bathroom door, her phone was ringing. She picked it up quickly. "Hello?"  
  
"Hello, Sydney."  
  
Chris was so shocked she could barely speak. "Who is this please?"  
  
"You know who it is."  
  
The heavily accented voice indeed told the agent whom she was speaking to. "Signor Garcia."  
  
"Very good. My daughter tells me that you're looking for me."  
  
All of the blood drained from Chris' face and she had to sit down as her knees unlocked. She forced a casual tone into her voice. "Yeah? How is she?"  
  
"Cut the bullshit, Agent Sharpe." Garcia's tone was harsh. "I have my daughter here with me and, if you don't show up alone and unarmed, I'm going to dispose of her."  
  
The blonde agent gritted her teeth on an angry retort. "Where?"  
  
"There's an abandoned warehouse ten blocks east of County General Hospital. Be there in two hours. And remember, Sharpe, alone and unarmed."  
  
"I understand," Chris replied. The line went dead and she slowly replaced the receiver. "Yes, I understand, you prick," she murmured. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she quickly dressed and dried her hair. She loaded her spare weapon and strapped it to her ankle. "Show time," she growled.  
  
Then she left for the warehouse.  
  
**  
  
Tori was tied to a chair and gagged soundly. She was also terrified and watched as her father paced back and forth in front of her.  
  
"Why couldn't you just have kept your mouth shut? Did I not teach you that, my darling?" Blue eyes fixed on him and he almost flinched at the hatred in them. "I didn't kill your mother, Victoria. It was that FBI agent. You thought I didn't know you were sleeping with her back then... but I did. I just didn't know she was a traitor."  
  
The doctor whimpered and shook her head, pulling against her bonds at the same time. Garcia walked to her and pulled her gag away. "You stupid man," she spat. "Chris didn't kill Mother. It was Mendoza... in revenge for your betrayal of him. You caused your own wife's death!"  
  
Tori's father suddenly went berserk and backhanded her across the face before holding his gun to her temple. "You're lying! You're still fucking her!"  
  
"Papa..." Tori suddenly felt exhausted. "I blamed Chris for everything for the past three years. I hated her and left her when all I wanted to do was build a life with her. She didn't kill Mother, Papa."  
  
"No," Garcia whispered. "You're falling for her lies."  
  
"I love her, Papa," Tori replied just as softly. "And I believe her. Mendoza killed our family, not Chris."  
  
The man exhaled and set his gun down on a table nearby. "I need to think," he said before dropping into a chair and running a hand through his salt and pepper hair.  
  
Tori breathed a sigh of relief. She'd been granted another few minutes of life and she hoped with all her heart that Chris would make it on time.  
  
**  
  
By the time Chris made it to the warehouse, she was calm. She'd made an important decision. She didn't want to live without Tori anymore and, as long as the doctor was safe, Chris didn't care whether she, herself, lived or died.  
  
Calmly and in plain view of every window, the agent almost strolled to the door of the warehouse. She opened it and quietly ducked inside, her training taking over and urging her on. The interior was dimly lit and she took a moment to let her eyes adjust before she moved on. A whimper alerted her to another presence and she walked quietly into the main storage area.  
  
"Vicky," she whispered as she saw the doctor bound and gagged. She swallowed and walked toward her, lifting her jacket and shirt and turning in a circle. "I'm unarmed," she stated loudly.  
  
"Good." Garcia's voice echoed around the room and she was unable to pinpoint it.  
  
"What the hell do you want?" Chris asked. "Did you drag me all the way down here thinking I'd want to save this chick or something?" Tori's eyes lifted in surprise and the agent sent her a silent apology. "What the hell do I care about her? She's been blaming me for killing her mother for the past three years."  
  
"I don't quite believe you," came the voice, this time from much nearer and then Garcia stepped out in front of Chris, his gun pointed at her head. "Get down on your knees and put your arms behind your back." Chris complied, giving Tori a reassuring look. "You see," Garcia went on. "I want revenge for the death of my wife and I'm going to get it."  
  
"Take it up with Mendoza," the agent growled. "He ordered the hit on Signora Garcia."  
  
"I don't believe you!" the man roared. He levelled the gun at Chris' forehead and smiled cruelly. "Goodbye, Agent Sharpe."  
  
Chris' heart was in her mouth but she suddenly heard a shout. "No! Papa, no! Please don't! I love her!" She saw Garcia's eyes move to his daughter, which gave her just enough time to get her gun out from her ankle holster and, when the man turned back to pull the trigger, he found a gun aimed at him. Chris pulled the trigger and he was thrown backward onto the floor with the force of the bullet. She let her hand drop and then walked to him to kick his gun away and check his pulse.  
  
Tori was crying. Chris went to her and crouched down, quickly freeing her from her bindings. "Are you ok?" she asked softly.  
  
"No." The doctor cried in earnest as she was wrapped up in a tight embrace. "I could have lost you again."  
  
"No way," Chris smiled, pulling back a little and cupping Tori's cheek. "And, Vicky, he's alive. I just winged him."  
  
The doctor's mouth dropped open. "What?"  
  
The agent chuckled. "I'm not a murderer, Sweetheart. He's going to stand trial for his crimes."  
  
"Oh God." Tori gasped. "I've been so wrong about you. I'm so, so sorry, Chris."  
  
Chris nodded. "It's ok," she murmured as she hugged the taller woman close. "We both made mistakes."  
  
"I love you, Chris," the doctor whispered. "I never stopped loving you."  
  
"I love you too," the agent replied tenderly. Then she kissed Tori deeply, moaning softly as her heart and soul finally came home.  
  
It was exquisite.  
  
**  
  
A dark eyebrow lifted. "Are you sure about this?"  
  
Tori ran her fingertips up and down her lover's back, smiling as the powerful muscles contracted under the touch and Chris chuckled. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life. I want my life back and that life doesn't include the FBI."  
  
"Now that Papa's in prison and his businesses have been shut down, we can do whatever we want," the doctor pointed out.  
  
"I dunno," Chris replied, her green eyes twinkling. "I kinda like Chicago."  
  
Tori's eyes lit up too. "Are you serious?"  
  
"Vicky, you love it here. You have a great job and it shouldn't be too difficult for me to get one here too. I have a JD in Law."  
  
The doctor hugged Chris hard and then kissed her gently. "I love you with all my heart and soul," she said emotionally. "Thank you."  
  
"No, thank you," the blonde replied. "And I love you too."  
  
They smiled at each other. "Forever."  
  
The End.  
  
Copyright March 2003 Paula Cullen. 


End file.
